Upon Flaming Wings
by MysticBluAngel
Summary: Something happens to Pyro, because of Magneto. He loses his powers and is in the hospital for a little while. What'll happen when Amara is specially chosen to watch over him? AmaraSt. John and a little Romy in the beginning but more as we go! Please revie
1. Chapter 1

-Upon Flaming Wings-  
  
10-14-03  
  
-Something happens to Pyro, because of Magneto. He loses his powers and is in the hospital for a little while. What'll happen when Amara is specially chosen to watch over him? Even when he returns to the institute? Contains Amara/St. John and Romy! How could I write a fic without Romy? *smiles* I couldn't.-  
  
-  
  
Amara Aquilla woke up, sweating. It was just a nightmare, she told herself sternly. She looked around her room. Silver moonlight poured through the billowing curtains. Her heart pounded, despite her frantic attempts to calm herself down. The chill air sliced through the open window and made her shiver slightly, not out of coldness, but out of slight fear. She bit her lip and pulled her legs up to her chest. Her brown eyes widened when she heard a noise. It was Logan, out wandering the halls. He normally patrolled in the early morning and late at night. He knocked on her door.  
  
"Everythin' okay in here?" He opened it and peered in. "I heard ya scream." She nodded and tried to relax.  
  
"Fine." She paused. "It was just a nightmare." He stared at her then closed the door, patrolling once again.  
  
-  
  
"What?" Amara asked, her eyes going wide. She stared at Professor Xavier. "Why me?"  
  
"Well because your powers are much more similar to his. Listen, Amara, I know this is a shock but you have to understand. Gambit told me that he had lost his powers." The professor sighed. "Magneto has to be stopped. Your only job is to take care of St. John."  
  
"Well.. I suppose I could.." She said quietly. Xavier smiled.  
  
"Don't worry, Amara." He dismissed her and she went up to her room. It was still raining and had been all morning. The soft, light drizzle was now a steady downpour. She sat on her bed and stared out the balcony doors.  
  
"What have I gotten myself into?"  
  
-  
  
Amara walked through the wet streets. She held the note the professor had given her to give to Gambit and Piotr. She got to the hospital and walked in, going to a woman at the desk.  
  
"Can you tell me what room St. John Allerdyce is in, please?" She asked timidly. The woman at the desk looked up at her.  
  
"You must be Amara, hm? Yes, his room is 5B." Amara nodded and said a quiet 'thank you'. The professor had called and told her to make certain that Amara be allowed in the room. She found the room with little difficulty and rested her hand on the doorknob. She pushed it open slightly and peered in. There were two men in there. One was standing and leaning against the wall, and the other was sitting down. She took a deep breath and walked in, knocking quietly as she went.  
  
"Hm?" She saw them turn and look at her. She bit her lip and prepared to speak. Her voice caught in her throat. She fit names with the person, instead.  
  
Gambit was tall and lean, well-built and looked strong. He had a cold gaze and his red-on-black eyes made her shiver. He looked intellegant and battle-smart. A long trench coat flowed down him, to his feet. Under it, he wore his normal outfit, which was a tight black suit with his belt and finger-less gloves.  
  
Piotr was cold, emotionless. His eyes were like dark voids, ready to suck her in. She could clearly see intellect and intellegance in those voids. He seemed to have a wisdom that didn't seem to fit his age.  
  
Her sights turned to the hospital bed. Her vision blurred. A pale, unconscious man laid there limply. He was hooked up to machines and IVs, that connected to his arms. That must be St. John, she thought to herself. She had never met him personally but she could almost feel his pain radiating off him.  
  
"Bonjour, fille. What can we d' fo' y'?" She turned and saw Gambit narrow his eyes at her. He seemed very polite and well-mannered.  
  
"My name is Amara and Professor Xavier sent me to take care of St. John." Gambit watched as she held the note out to him. "This is for both of you. He wants you to read it and go to talk to him immediately." He took the note and looked at Piotr, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Well, Remy will read it. Merci, petite." He pushed himself off the wall and walked to the door. Piotr got up and walked out. Gambit stopped and looked back at her. "Take good care o' him fo' Remy." She gave him a small smile and nodded. He left and closed the door behind him. She looked back at St. John.  
  
"What am I supposed to do?" She whispered to him. She reached out and touched his forehead. She withdrew her grasp with a startled cry. He had a fever. She ran out and pulled a nurse toward the room. The nurse only connected another IV to him. Then she turned around and looked at her.  
  
"I found this in his pocket." She handed Amara a silver lighter. She stared at it after the nurse left. She saw something engraved on it. It said:  
  
'St. John Allerdyce'  
  
And underneath it, it said:  
  
'Pyro'  
  
-  
  
Amara opened her eyes and yawned. She sat up and her eyes widened. Her neck and back were sore and she was sleeping on two chairs that were pulled together. The sun shone through the window and she glanced at a clock. The phone started to ring and she jumped, startled at the sudden noise. She picked it up and was thankful that it didn't wake St. John.  
  
"H-Hello?" She asked hesitantly.  
  
"Amara, how is he doing?" She looked over and saw that a little bit of his complexion had returned.  
  
"He looks fine right now. He had a fever yesterday." She said quietly.  
  
"I see. Well, call us if anything happens. I called the school and told them that you would not be present today." Professor Xavier said and she bit her lip. They talked for a few minutes more and he told her that Gambit and Piotr had arrived. She set the phone back in the cradle and sighed, leaning back in her chair. She had a task and she would carry it out. She leaned over and pulled her chair closer to the bed. She rested her hand on his forehead. He was at a normal temperature. Then she felt a hand on hers. He was staring at her with eyes as green as emeralds. She gasped but couldn't move.  
  
"St. John.." She whispered. His hair was like flames. Orange as bright as a flame. His breathing quickened. He pulled her hand down and held it in his.  
  
"Warm.. Fire.." He gazed at her and she bit her lip. "My power.." She saw the desperation in his eyes, heard it in his voice.  
  
"What happened?" She asked softly. He closed his eyes then opened them.  
  
"Magneto.. He gave me an injection.." He winced and shifted into a more comfortable position. He was still in pain. "Sabretooth attacked me.." She picked up the phone, pulling her hand from him.  
  
"Mr. Logan!" She exclaimed. "Hurry! I found out--" There was a click on the other end. She put her hand on his face and he pulled her into his lap. He wanted as much of her warmth, her fire, her power as he could get. They were still like that when Logan and the professor came in.  
  
"What's the problem?" Logan asked. He blinked, staring.  
  
"Magneto gave him an injection.." Amara started. The professor wheeled over.  
  
"Just relax." He reached out with his mind. John's eyes widened when he saw all the memories of his loss taking place. Amara got the dose too, being so close to him. When they ended, Amara was dizzy. John passed out. The professor went to the doctor and told him that John was well enough to get out. He used some telepathy to convince him and they came in. The doctor agreed and let them leave.  
  
-  
  
Amara picked at her dinner. She still had that tingling feeling from when John had held her. Ororo stared at her in concern.  
  
"What is wrong, Child?" Rogue looked up from her dinner, too bored of eating to focus on food. They were literally trying to stuff her. She was interested now.  
  
"Nothing." Amara paused and hid her face in her bangs. "Just that I'm worried about St. John. I mean, he looked so helpless when he woke up. So desperate.."  
  
"What happened to Pyro?" Rogue asked, standing up. She slammed her hand, palm down, on the table.  
  
"Magneto stole his powers.. or something like that. Mr. McCoy and Professor Xavier are down there trying to figure out exactly what he did." Amara answered. She was shaking and her eyes were wide. "He was so scared.." She wrapped her arms around herself. "Then he was beaten by Sabretooth.. Magneto wanted him.. dead." The last word was whispered and the kitchen went silent. Only Rogue, Ororo, Logan, and Gambit, who just walked in, were in there.  
  
"What?" Gambit's eyes were wide. He stared at her.  
  
"He held me.. so close. He felt my power. He felt the heat of my power. He felt the fire." She looked up at them. Her eyes became watery. "Excuse me." She stood up and ran out of the room. Everyone looked at each other worriedly. Gambit looked at Rogue. She could see the concern in his eyes. She felt so bad for him, though she wouldn't admit it.  
  
-  
  
Amara sunk into her chair. She opened her book. Yesterday, they had brought John to the institute. She looked out the window. How was she supposed to concentrate? School was so boring and she had other more important things to worry about. Mostly, if she was going to pass the test from Logan. He was giving them individual training sessions. One hour in the Danger Room to see how well they did. Then they were going to learn from Scott and Jean about team work. Tabitha came in, listening to her walkman and dancing around.  
  
"Hey Tabby!" Amara said with a smile. Tabitha plopped her books down and turned her walkman off. She sat down on Amara's desk.  
  
"Hey Amara!" She said with a smile. She winked at a boy that walked by her. "What's up at the institute?"  
  
"Nothing really." Amara lied. She really didn't feel like telling Tabitha about Pyro. Pyro. She smiled. That name suited him so well. And would fit even better if he had his powers.  
  
"Hm. Boring old sessions?"  
  
"They have been everything but boring." Amara stated. "With Mr. Logan, nothing is very boring." Tabitha laughed.  
  
"Is he still the same hard core teacher? Well, all the better I suppose. You'll be stronger before you know it, then." She said with a sigh. "I just slacked off. It was all still too high maintenance for me."  
  
-  
  
Sighing, Kitty phased through the door and dropped her bookbag on the floor. Rogue opened the door and walked over to her bed, collapsing.  
  
"School officially sucks."  
  
"Why?" Kitty asked with a small smile. She knew Rogue hated school. Mostly because of mutant haters making their lives worse, but also because school in general sucked.  
  
"Ah have a damn project, not ta mention the test from Logan today." Kitty gasped.  
  
"Ohmigod! I totally forgot! Train with me!"  
  
"No way." Kitty crossed her arms then ran from the room, phasing through the door. She went to Amara.  
  
"Please train with me before Mr. Logan's test! I totally forgot and I need to pass." She frantically started talking the speed of light until she noticed that Amara was in her X-uniform. "Like, thank you so much!"  
  
"No problem. I need to go over a few things. Come on, hurry up and change." Kitty nodded, changing while Amara waited for her in the Danger Room.  
  
"Like, ready!" Kitty burst into the room to find Gambit and Amara talking. She gave them both a confused look. She blinked at them.  
  
"Gambit is going to train us. He said that Mr. Logan asked him to help with the test today." Amara said with a smile. Kitty grinned and hugged Gambit.  
  
"Like, thanks!" She smiled widely. The doors opened and Rogue came in. She scowled and crossed her arms. "Rogue? What are you, like, doing here?"  
  
"Ah'm here ta train, Kit. What does it look like?" She seemed to be in an awfully cranky mood.  
  
"Well den, shall Remy begin de training?"  
  
-  
  
Kitty sighed and rubbed her sore legs. Amara groaned and tried to get the soreness out of her muscles. Rogue was still in there with Gambit. Amara sighed and leaned limply against the wall.  
  
"Time to begin, kids." Logan said, walking over to them. They looked up at him and moaned.  
  
"Aww.. but.. Mr. Logan!" Kitty protested. "We were just training for, like, three hours!"  
  
"Good, now get up." He crossed his arms and glared at them. Amara wordlessly got up and walked back in, along with an upset Kitty, dragging her feet behind her. Gambit was leaning against the wall and Rogue stopped training, looking back at them. She blinked. "Time to get the test ready, Gumbo. Come on." Gambit nodded, pushing himself off the wall and followed after Logan.  
  
"Well, like, at least I tried to train."  
  
"It shouldn't be all that hard.." Amara said quietly. The other two girls stared at her.  
  
"This is LOGAN we're talkin' 'bout." Rogue muttered.  
  
-  
  
Amara, Kitty, Rogue, and the others sat there waiting for the results. Amara thought she literally failed it. She was breathing hard after only five minutes. Kitty was almost sound asleep.  
  
"We've decided who passed and who failed." Logan came out and narrowed his eyes at them. "No letters or numbers, you either passed or failed." He looked down at the clipboard in his hands. "Half-pint, you passed. Amara, passed. Stripes, passed. Rahne, passed." He looked back up. "Elf, passed. The rest of ya failed." Bobby and Jubilee gave him incredulous looks. Jamie just shrugged. Ray raised his eyebrow.  
  
"I, like, passed!" Kitty cheered. She smiled widely and ran out of the room. Evan frowned. He hadn't passed any of Logan's tests so far.  
  
"Those that failed, you're takin' a harder one tomorrow." Those who failed groaned and left, dragging their feet. All except for Jamie. Amara figured that since she was down there, she might as well visit Pyro. She looked through the window then went in when she saw that no one else was in there.  
  
-  
  
All done with this chapter. Let me know how it is.  
  
10-19-03  
  
Thanks. ^.^ 


	2. Chapter 2

-Upon Flaming Wings-  
  
10-19-03  
  
-  
  
Amara sat down next to Pyro's bed and he looked over at her. He blinked. She smiled timidly at him.  
  
"Hello, St. John." She said with a bigger smile.  
  
"Hey there, Sheila." He said in a quiet tone. He looked back down at his hands. That was what he had been doing for a long amount of time.  
  
"Did they say anything about your progress?"  
  
"I'm gettin' outta 'ere tomorrow." She blinked. A lot of progress must've been made. He shrugged then. "I don't know what they plan to do about my powers, though." He looked up at her sadly.  
  
"What does it feel like?" She asked softly. He tilted his head. "Y'know.. to lose your powers?" He looked back down at his hands.  
  
"I feel so empty." He said, closing his eyes. She took the lighter out of her belt, since she attached it under there, having no pockets in her X-uniform. She held it in her closed hands for a minute the looked up at him.  
  
"Here." She held it out to him and he looked in her hand. He put his hand over hers then took it. She got up and smiled. "I better go. I've got homework." He watched her leave with a frown on his face. Seeing her go reminded him of watching his strength, his power go. "See ya later." She waved when she passed by the window. He sat there for a while and just stared out the window, seeing her face. He looked down at the lighter. He had felt her warmth through her gloves. Hank came in and saw that he had a lighter.  
  
"Who dropped by?" He asked conversationally. Pyro closed his hand and looked up.  
  
"That Sheila that was at the hospital when I woke up." He answered. Hank smiled.  
  
"That would be Amara." Gambit came down and leaned against the doorway.  
  
"Oh, dat petite? She's nice." He said with a grin. Pyro looked over at him and smiled slightly. Piotr had come down last night to see him. "Remy watched 'er come down dis way when she left de test."  
  
"Did she pass?" Hank asked. Gambit nodded.  
  
"S' did Kitty, Rogue, Rahne, an' Kurt." He counted them off on his fingers. "De rest failed."  
  
"Well, most of them did well, then." Pyro sighed and clenched his fist. He closed his eyes. He could feel her power.. He could feel her fire.  
  
"St. John?" Her voice called to him, bringing him back from wherever he was. He looked up to see Gambit still in the same position and Hank messing on some computer. Amara stood next to Gambit, hesitant to go closer. She had changed out of her X-uniform and had changed into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. She walked closer and handed him a tray with some food on it. He smiled at her. "Beware, Kitty made the muffin. She tries, but it just isn't enough." She left again, with a smile and another wave.  
  
"Thanks!" He called after her. Gambit made a shocked face.  
  
"Mon dieu! St. John has manners!" John selected the muffin and threw it at him. Gambit ducked and the muffin went through the wall.  
  
"I'm glad I didn't eat that."  
  
"Remy be glad he didn' get hit by it!"  
  
-  
  
Amara descended the stairs and walked into the kitchen. She grabbed an apple and sat down, taking a bite. She looked at the paper and gave a glance at the cover story. It was almost midnight and she wasn't tired. She had slept about an hour then woke up, thanks to a nightmare. Her brown eyes focused on the picture. She sighed. Mutant protesters.  
  
"What else is new?" She whispered in a disgusted voice and decided to read the article. She felt someone's hand on her shoulder and jumped, giving out a cry, dropping her apple, and falling out of her chair. The person fell back and landed on his behind. She groaned and looked over, seeing a familiar head of red-orange hair and meeting familiar emerald eyes. "St. John.." Her eyes widened.  
  
"That's right, Sheila." He said, rubbing his rear when he got up. "Don't go and get all jumpy on me." He held his hand out to her and helped her up. "Besides, I wouldn't murder you." She gave him a small smile and picked her apple up, throwing it away. "Why were you reading nightmare material?" He pointed to the front page of the paper.  
  
"I already had a nightmare. Besides, I won't be able to fall asleep anyway. I'm just not tired."  
  
"After Logan's test? I hear that Gambit made it a little easier than Logan wanted." He shrugged and took a seat next to the chair she was sitting in. She picked her chair up and was just about to sit down when the light turned on and she covered her eyes.  
  
"What's goin' on?" Logan asked, narrowing his eyes at St. John. "What are you doin' up?"  
  
"Mr. McCoy told me that I could go up to my new room. He told me where it was. I went up but I just wasn't tired. I had no idea the Sheila there would be in here." He explained.  
  
"I fell asleep then woke up. I wasn't tired so I came down here." Logan glared at them.  
  
"Just get back up in your rooms. We can't be havin' you kids down here at this time of night." They nodded and walked past him. She blushed when he let her go first up the stairs.  
  
"I didn't even get to finish my apple, thanks to you." She whispered to him when they walked side-by-side down the hallway. He grinned.  
  
"Well now, Sheila, that wasn't entirely my fault." They said their good-nights and went to their rooms. Pyro's room was right next to hers.  
  
-  
  
Before school started, Amara had a session with Pyro, Logan, and Professor X. It was mainly for what they were to do to get St. John's powers back.  
  
"Hank had found that the injection did not steal his powers, but subdued them. He merely needs to get them started again and ward off the permanent stopper. It is basically like starting a fire with wet wood. Just find some new, dry wood. Now, we will have a brief session before Amara goes to school." The professor explained. He and Logan went up to the control room.  
  
"Get started." Logan said gruffly through the intercom. Amara turned into her flaming form. She looked up then back at St. John. She would get him to get his powers back, even if she had to skip school and attack him all day. John was a little nervous, wondering why he couldn't practice with his lighter first. He dodged some flaming balls of magma and ran for his life when she started attacking. He tripped and was backed up against the wall. He held his hand out, palm facing her and she felt a slight pressure.  
  
"Keep going, St. John!" She encouraged. The pressure dropped and so did he. She deformed and ran to him, slipping his arm around her shoulder and supporting him.  
  
"That was pretty good for the first trial." The professor instructed her to get ready for school.  
  
Amara got a ride from Scott. She couldn't help but think about the look of fear in Pyro's eyes when she had him backed up against the wall.  
  
"How was Pyro?" Rogue asked, looking over. Amara looked up then back down.  
  
"We had our first session today. All I felt was a slight pressure, as of someone pushing me back. He did well but it drained him." She answered quietly. They got to the school and Amara avoided any and all conversation after that.  
  
-  
  
St. John worked on his powers all afternoon, sitting in the living room with his lighter. He was getting aggravated. Very aggravated.  
  
"What are you doing, St. John?" Amara asked, walking into the room. She smiled at him when he looked up.  
  
"I'm tryin' to get my powers back." He narrowed his eyes at the lighter and continued to try. She sat down next to him and watched. She created some flaming magma in her hand and he looked at her. Then he shook his head. "We have a training session. Logan is in charge of it this time. I hope I don't pass out."  
  
"You should've improved if you sat there all day." He grinned.  
  
"I did." She gave him an incredulous look. "Nothin' happened." He set his lighter on his lap and glared at his hands. He wished in vain that he could just get it back.  
  
"It will take work to get your powers back, St. John." Professor Xavier said, wheeling into the room. Pyro looked up at him and frowned, narrowing his eyes.  
  
"Why did Mags have to go and take away my powers?" He asked bitterly. "I never betrayed him." He felt like throwing the lighter across the room. Gambit came in and sighed, sitting down next to his friend.  
  
"Roguey sure gets scary when she gets mad." He said wearily. "All Remy did was ask if he could sit wit' her." Amara and Pyro exchanged glances.  
  
"You need to give up for a while, mate." Gambit glared at him.  
  
"Remy be not a quitter." With that said, he got right back up and left the room. Pyro shook his head.  
  
"Ready for yer training session, kids?" Logan asked. Pyro sighed.  
  
"As ready as we'll ever be."  
  
-  
  
Pyro got changed into his new X-uniform. It would be better if he wore one to get used to the feeling. He met Amara outside the Danger Room. She held her hand out to him. He took it and shook, confused.  
  
"Whatever happens in there, I don't mean to hurt you." She said softly. He smiled and nodded. "The reason they made you do it this morning was that when your life is in danger, your powers can't help but be activated." He nodded in understanding.  
  
"I got it and I'm ready for this." He walked in with an air of determination around him. She sighed and walked in slowly after him.  
  
"I only hope you are." She mumbled.  
  
"Get into yer positions and hurry it up." Logan's voice boomed. They settled themselves into position and Amara transformed again. She produced flames in her hands and stood there, waiting for the signal to begin. "Start!" She tossed the fire at Pyro and he tried to control them but wound up leaping out of the way just in time. He concentrated all of his will power on controlling the flames. He clenched his teeth and his fists, preparing to try and get this one. He couldn't, however. He started to sweat. The training had been going on for over a half-hour. He coughed and started panting. The heat was growing in the room. He couldn't find his power, no matter how hard he tried.  
  
-  
  
That's it for this chapter! Yay!  
  
10-20-03  
  
-Jess- 


	3. Chapter 3

-Upon Flaming Wings-  
  
10-20-03  
  
-  
  
Amara got out of the shower and sighed. It had been a tough week. Pyro was now going to Professor Xavier in a sort of therapeutic way. He had been a tough case for her to crack. They had trained hard every day and his powers were fragile but they were coming back. She walked into her room and closed the door. She frowned and dried herself off, putting on her pajamas, which consisted of a black tank top and a pair of blue silk pajama pants. She toweled off her hair and looked at her reflection. She then sighed and threw the towel into her hamper. She frowned and laid on her bed, reading. Someone knocked then walked in.  
  
"Hey, Amara." St. John said with a smile. She blushed a little at him seeing her in her night clothes but smiled anyway. "I wanted to thank you for helping me with my powers." She smiled widely.  
  
"Hey, it was nothing. I think I got a firmer grasp on my powers too." She said, sitting up as he sat next to her. He gave her a loose hug. She returned it. Her eyes dimmed with tears. She remembered all that had happened during the week and since she met him.  
  
"The professor said that my powers are coming back.. I can actually use them in full now. But I will have to train with you and the others to get my full grip on them back." He pulled away from her and smiled. "Well, we both need our rest, eh, Sheila?" She nodded slightly.  
  
"Logan's training session is going to hard if we don't get any sleep." He nodded and got up, leaving the room. She looked down at her book then set it aside and settled herself under her covers.  
  
-  
  
Amara looked around. Where was she? She could hardly see in the dense fog that had settled over wherever she was. She was outside in her nightclothes. She looked around. Her eyes widened in fear. A shadow approached her at an alarming speed. She turned around and ran away from whoever it was. When she looked back, no one was there. She gasped and came to a halt. She swallowed and looked back ahead. Shadows, coming at her from every direction. Her eyes widened even more and she transformed into Magma. She felt herself freeze. She fought it to no avail. She felt her hands come together and her legs, as well. Then she fell to her knees. The shadows merged into one and stood before her. Emerald eyes stared at her without mercy. She opened her mouth to scream for help as she sat there helplessly. No sound came out.  
  
-  
  
Amara screamed and sat up. Logan, Pyro, and Ororo raced into the room and she sat on the bed, shivering with fear. Pyro sighed and sat down next to her, trying to calm her along with Ororo. She whimpered slightly and tried not to be afraid. Her breath caught in her throat. She shivered violently and buried her face into Pyro's chest. He held her wordlessly. She felt safe in his arms, but there was a foreign fear there that shouldn't be. She looked up and when he looked at her, she cried out and pulled herself away from him.  
  
"What is it?" Ororo asked soothingly. "What's the matter?" Amara pointed at Pyro. Logan raised an eyebrow. "What?"  
  
"You.." She whispered, her voice filled with fear. Her eyes were wide and she shook. Voices inside of her head whispered to her. She knew she wasn't feeling well. "Stop!" She held her head in her hands.  
  
'He did it to you..' One voice said.  
  
A scream erupted, doubled. Gambit raced into the room with Rogue in his arms. His eyes were wide and he clutched her to him with all the strength he had.  
  
"What the hell is going on?" Logan asked. Professor Xavier wheeled himself into the room. He stared at them. "Charles.."  
  
"They've had nightmares of the ones they care about." He said after a moment. Jean raced in, as well as Scott, Kitty, Kurt, Ray, Jubilee, and Bobby. "I do not know what is going on, but I know this was no coincidence."  
  
"What are we going to do?" Pyro asked, narrowing his eyes.  
  
"I do not know what has happened with Rogue and Amara. They seem to be the only ones who have not come to their senses." Rogue was shaking and trying in vain to get out of Gambit's arms.  
  
"Let meh go!" She screamed. He only held her tighter.  
  
-  
  
Amara closed her eyes. She was tired and dazed. What happened? She remembered the nightmare and the look on Pyro's face when he had left her room. She brought her legs up to her chest and hugged them.  
  
"Sheila?" He knocked on her door. She hid her face in her hair and bit her lip. It had been a frightening experience for her.  
  
"What do you want?" She asked, her voice muffled.  
  
"Certainly not Kitty's muffins." He said then paused. "Listen, Sheila, I have no idea what happened to you in your dream but don't be afraid of me." She swallowed the sudden lump in her throat. There was a lot she didn't understand. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.  
  
"Come in." He opened the door and closed it behind him. "I know it was a nightmare now.."  
  
"I know ya do, Sheila. Its time for our training, if you feel up to it." She looked over at him, a small smile on her face.  
  
"I'll be down in a while." He nodded and smiled, leaving her. She got dressed into her X-uniform. She couldn't wait to train. It was a relief that she felt now, not having her mind on her nightmare. She ran down to the training room.  
  
"Hurry up, kid. He's about to start without ya." Logan said, pointing. She nodded and ran into the room.  
  
"C'mon!" Pyro smiled and waved to Scott who was in the control room. They got into their stances. "Ready, Sheila?"  
  
"Yeah." She was about to transform but an image appeared. She shook her head. She shouldn't be stalling. She transformed. She sent flames at John, who controlled them and hurtled them at the robots and lasers. She launched them at the metal machines that were attacking.  
  
"OI!" Scott had toned it up and there were more, along with paintballs flying at them. Blades whirled through the air and they had to really work to keep going. Logan watched them with increasing respect. Rogue, Gambit, and Kurt bamf-ed in and trained with them. Kitty phased through the wall and started running from the machines in the air.  
  
"We've gotta get inta groups!" Rogue shouted, calling order. "Pyro an' Amara, ya two are a team. Remy an' Ah'll be the otha one. Kurt, ya an' Kit are the last team." Pyro, who was watching out for them all, looked back and pulled Amara out of the way, calling to the others that they had been spotted.  
  
"We got it!" He shouted, pulling a now deformed, regular-looking Amara with him. They hid behind a rock and she created her fire. He took it and threw it, parting it into little flaming balls. She looked over to see Rogue and Gambit fighting off the minor, easier things so that all of them could concentrate on the paintballs. She looked up and around then pulled Pyro away. They just escaped.  
  
"Come on!" She grabbed his hand after they stopped and looked around for a place to hide and attack. She smiled in satisfactory when a plan arose. She pulled him toward Kitty and Kurt. "Kitty, I have a plan. Phase us through the cliff and get us to the top. We can attack the blasters from up there." Kitty nodded, smiling.  
  
"Like, great plan. Kurt, 'port us to the top so I can phase them through." He nodded and they all held on to each other. Gambit and Rogue noticed it and smiled at each other. They would take care of the bottom and the others would get the top.  
  
"There're five blasters." Pyro said, smirking. "We'll take 'em out in no time at all." Kitty put her hands on her shoulders and they phased through the ground so they didn't get spotted. Then she phased them up when Kurt whispered something.  
  
"Go!" She phased them up and Amara blasted away at one, while Pyro took another. Kurt teleported out of the way of getting hit. The blasters fell to the ground and exploded. Amara was on her knees, her arms held securely up in front of her face. Pyro put his arms around her and turned her around so her face was hidden in his chest, away from flying rocks and debris.  
  
"Sheila! Hold on tight!" He picked her up and they hid behind a rock. Panting, gasping clean air, and wiping sweat from their foreheads, they leaned against the rock. Amara looked up and her eyes widened. She made a daring move and pushed Pyro out into the open. She handed him a fireball and he used it as a shield for both of them. "Nice one. Now, attack it while this holds up." She nodded once.  
  
"Okay.." She put her hands together and sent a blast of fire at it.  
  
-  
  
"That was actually a fun and successful training session!" Kitty said cheerfully. "Amara and Pyro, you two were, like, totally great!"  
  
"Thanks." Amara said, blushing lightly. Pyro grinned and put his arm around her shoulders.  
  
"If it weren't for her, I would've been hit with paintballs!" He said, his eyes widening. Amara elbowed him.  
  
"He saved me a few times, too." She turned to Rogue. "What about you and Gambit?"  
  
"Well, we pretty much did what we could, right, Cajun?" Gambit nodded and wrapped an arm around her waist. They were walking down the hallways toward their rooms.  
  
"Congratulations." They stopped and turned around. Ororo, Logan, and Professor Xavier stood behind them. "You did exceptionally well. We are very proud of you."  
  
"Thanks." They all said in unison.  
  
"Well, we did work hard." Kitty said with a smile. "Amara and Pyro were the main team out there."  
  
"I feel as though you kids really could beat Magneto. Just keep training hard." Xavier turned around and wheeled himself back down the hallway. Ororo smiled at them and Logan grunted.  
  
"I say he's right." Kurt said, grinning. "The Fuzzy One is in the house!" They all laughed.  
  
"Right.." Pyro said with a shake of his head.  
  
-  
  
Rogue sat, playing a video game with Gambit. He was losing so pathetically that Pyro laughed at him. Amara joined in, once she saw how horrible he was. It was hilarious. He was in last place and he couldn't even finish the race. Kitty was reading a magazine and Kurt was eating. He had popcorn, ice cream, soda, and some candy.  
  
"Kurt!" Kitty shouted. She grabbed her popsicle away from him and glared at him. "Like, you have all that food and you're trying to, like, steal my popsicle!" She watched him as she started eating it.  
  
"Vell, you veren't eating it!" She stared at him. Amara stole some popcorn for her and John. She sat up against him on the floor, her legs pulled up under her.  
  
"Dis is dumb!" Gambit said, getting frustrated. He felt like throwing the controller through the TV. Rogue laughed at him. Evan walked down and Rogue let him beat Gambit. The Cajun did better than before because he had a better feel for the controls. Soon, all of them had played against Gambit and even Amara, who never played before, beat him.  
  
-  
  
Amara gave Pyro a smile.  
  
"'Mornin', Sheila." He said with a grin. She grabbed a donut and sat herself down next to him. She took a small bite then smiled wider at him.  
  
"Good morning, St. John." She returned. She took another bite from her donut and sat there quietly. Kurt bamf-ed in and stole three donuts. Amara shook her head. Kitty was at the microwave, trying to cook oatmeal. She yelped and left it in there, sucking on her burnt finger.  
  
"Cajun!" Logan came in, chasing after Gambit, who ran out the door. Logan ran right after him. Jamie raced in and ran into Amara, causing him to fall and.. multiply. Ray came in, sipping on some hot chocolate. Jubilee got mad at Bobby and dumped her soda over his head, leaving the room.  
  
"Well, I would have to say that this is another usual day." Ray mumbled. Amara laughed.  
  
"Me too." She smiled at him and watched as he snatched a poptart from the open box. He took a bite and smirked at her.  
  
"This is actually a good day, right?" She nodded. Then she turned back around in her seat and finished her donut in silence. "Catch all ya later!" Ray called. They all looked up and waved as he left the institute. He usually left early for school, meeting a few friends of his before classes began.  
  
-  
  
"What!? You're so kidding!" Amara said in wide-eyed astonishment. She stared at her friend, Rebecca, who shook her head.  
  
"No, Brandon really wants to go out with you, Amara." She said truthfully. "I heard it from a friend of his." Amara narrowed her eyes suspiciously at her friend.  
  
"Could be a misunderstanding." She slammed her locker shut and shrugged. "Besides, why would a football player even look at me?"  
  
"Come on, Amara! Not this again. You really have the looks, the smarts, and the most of the time good moods. I'm telling you, this is what I heard. He wants to ask you at lunch today."  
  
"Well then, maybe I'll be proven wrong."  
  
"What are you going to say?" Rebecca asked curiously. Amara had had a crush on Brandon in the beginning of the year.  
  
"I don't know."  
  
-  
  
That's all for now! =)  
  
10-23-03  
  
Please review! 


	4. Chapter 4

-Upon Flaming Wings-  
  
10-23-03  
  
-  
  
Amara decided to eat outside. It was nicer. She went over to the X-Men, her fellow teammates, and parked herself next to Evan, who smiled and inched over so he could allow her room. They noticed her good mood, apparently.  
  
"Hey, vhy are you so chipper?" Kurt asked with a toothy grin. She stared at him then blushed faintly.  
  
"I'm just in a good mood. Is that so abnormal?" She asked, her gaze turning almost threatening as she glared at the elf.  
  
"No." He said with wave of his hand, dismissing the tone of her voice. She sighed and relaxed. Kurt started eating and Kitty soon joined them, having noticed that they were outside.  
  
"Its starting to get colder!" She said cheerily. "And we all know what that means!"  
  
"Ja!" Kurt exclaimed, looking up from his food. He swallowed a mouthful. "Ze holidays." Scott's gaze wasn't on any of them, and they didn't care to notice. Amara smiled and excused herself, getting up to discard her lunch.  
  
"Hey, Amara." A smooth, nervous voice said behind her. She turned her head and glanced over her shoulder. A small smile appeared on her face.  
  
"Hey, Brandon." She replied in a soft, gentle tone. He smiled wider.  
  
"There's a dance and all coming up.. I was wondering if you would-" He never got to finish. Hands slid themselves over Amara's eyes and a body pressed close to her.  
  
"Hey there, Amara." A playful, familiar voice said in her ear. She pulled away and whirled around in shock.  
  
"P- John!?" Her eyes were wide. She disregarded the tingling feeling of his body against hers. Brandon's eyes followed them, going from one to the other. This John person looked a little older than Amara, he noticed. And they looked really close. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"I never finished my senior year, having dropped out to come here and get away from the folks." He said, shrugging. "Australia wasn't for me." He was about to say something else but she turned around and looked back at a boy, clad in his football jersy and baggy jeans.  
  
"Excuse me a minute, would you, Brandon?" He nodded and she turned back around, facing St. John. "What did you want?"  
  
"I was only wonderin' if I could have the pleasure of someone familiar relate the school's scheduling to me." He saw her glance at the other boy out of the corner of her eye. He sighed. "I'll just ask Rogue. Forgive my rude interruption." His tone settled in on her. She frowned and watched him walk away. Whatever happiness she had had faded in a ton of guilt.  
  
"Amara? Are you okay?" She turned around.  
  
"Yes." She answered emotionlessly. There was a cold chill to her voice that he wasn't used to hearing. "Let me think about the dance, Brandon." He nodded and watched her walk away.  
  
-  
  
St. John slammed the door to his room and hurled his backpack across the room. He fell onto his bed and sighed dejectedly. Whatever chances with Amara he had before were gone. They disappeared in a dense fog. He scowled and took a few deep breaths. He started playing with his lighter, making little flaming people. He snapped the lighter closed and dropped it over the edge of the bed.  
  
Maybe the Danger Room would turn his frown upside down.  
  
-  
  
Gambit sat on the couch, his concentration peaked. He gently put another card down. He was building a card house. He measured it and bit his tongue, sweat starting to bead on his face. After 92 failed attempts, he was going to give up. When John had slammed the door, he had been startled and fell right into the cards. He had been working on it all day. No one complained because they were either at school, or they just plain didn't care.  
  
"Jus' one mo' card.." He was about to place it on top when a boom and a slight tremor rose from the grounds. His cards fell over and he froze, still holding the card. He dropped it and sighed dejectedly. Rogue, who had been sick and hadn't went to school, was sitting in a chair on the other side of the room, reading, yet secretly watching his every move, walked over and wrapped her arms around him.  
  
"Ya should relax, Sugah." He leaned back into her and tilted his head back, looking up at her.  
  
"T'anks, Chére." He said with a smile. "But Remy be workin'."  
  
"Ya ain't thinkin' of doin' that till ya finish, are ya?" He nodded grimly. "What in bloody hell is wrong wit' ya, Cajun?" He winked at her, giving her a small, secretive smile.  
  
"Dat's fo' Remy t' know, and y' t' find out." She rolled her eyes then stretched and laid down on the couch. She yawned.  
  
"Wake meh up when ya finish or when its time ta eat. Whichevah comes first." She smirked at him then closed her eyes. She soon fell asleep and Gambit watched her, listening to her calm, slow breaths. Her chest rose and fell gracefully, with a lot of ease. He looked back at the mess of cards. Soon, the other recruits would be coming in and disturbing her peaceful slumber. Picking up his cards, he pocketed them then gently picked her up. Carrying her up to his room, where she wouldn't be disturbed, he laid her down on his bed then left the room, closing the door behind him.  
  
-  
  
John stared at the television, not even knowing, nor caring, what was on. He just stared at it. He flicked channels once in a while. Amara walked into the room from the kitchen and stopped, using the door to hide her. She stared at him then sighed. Perhaps she should apologize for the way she acted. She walked in and quietly crept up behind him. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders.  
  
"I'm sorry for the way I acted today. It was very selfish of me." She whispered in his ear. He stiffened. She let go of him and walked around the couch, sitting down next to him. He gave her an upset look. A frown was on his face.  
  
"No, it was selfish of me, Sheila." He said, sighing. She smiled and held her hand out to him. He took it and they shook.  
  
"Friends." They said in unison. Amara bit her lip.  
  
"I hope we never fight.." She folded her hands on her lap. She couldn't imagine them fighting. She DIDN'T want to imagine them fighting. She felt him wrap his arm around her and she leaned her head on his shoulder.  
  
"Don't worry, Sheila." His voice was soft, gentle. She smiled and closed her eyes. This was much better than not admitting she was wrong.  
  
-  
  
Amara walked into the kitchen and stretched. She had a cramp in her shoulders and she couldn't get rid of it.  
  
"Hey, Sheila." John grinned at her and threw an apple her way. She caught it. "I still owe ya an apple." She smiled and walked over, sitting down next to him.  
  
"I remember, you caused a ton of noise and Mr. Logan caught us. I never did finish my apple." She took a bite and moved her shoulders. She swallowed. "I have a horrible cramp in my shoulders.. This sucks so much." He got up and she stole the paper he was reading. She stiffened.  
  
"Just relax, Sheila. That's what this is all about." He whispered in her ear. She shivered then totally relaxed. "Y'know, we've still got a half-hour before everyone comes down." She just nodded. He was giving her shoulders a nice massage. "Oi, you're full o' knots."  
  
"Tell me about it." She said. A smile appeared on her face. She felt so relaxed. When he stopped about five minutes later, she felt so much better. "Thank you so much." She put her arms around his neck when he sat down and kissed his cheek.  
  
"No problem, Sheila." He grinned at her. "I'm the master of massage." She sighed and smiled.  
  
"You sure are." Logan walked in and poured himself a cup of coffee. "Hey there, Mr. Logan." He nodded to them.  
  
"What's up?" John bit into a donut. Logan took the front page of the paper and set his coffee down on the windowsill. Then he sat down next to it.  
  
"I won't be here when you get back from school, kids. I'm leavin' for a couple of days. There have been some sightings of metal doors and such bent right in half. I'm goin' to see what I can find out for Charles." He said, then took a sip from his coffee. "Magneto's been busy." John paled.  
  
"He doesn't have his Acolytes with him so it should be easier to bring him down." Amara said. She looked at John then back at Logan. "There's only Sabretooth."  
  
"Right." Logan agreed. "We still have to be on our guard. The fight is coming soon."  
  
-  
  
Amara laughed and elbowed John in the side. They were both on their way to lunch. He grinned at her then shrugged.  
  
"It ain't my fault."  
  
"It never is." She said with a smile. He looked back ahead. He was happy that she was by him again. That was the only thing he wanted. Two people were watching them as they followed.  
  
"I don't know him." Rebecca said quietly. "I've never met him and she never mentioned him to me before."  
  
"They seem like they're a couple."  
  
"They're not. She would've told me."  
  
"John!" Amara laughed and John looked around innocently. "You're such a nerd." He gave her an offended look.  
  
"Excuse me?" He asked, frowning. "I am not a nerd, Sheila."  
  
"Of course not, St. John." She hooked her arm through his. "You're just a softy." He smirked and leaned his head on hers.  
  
"Only underneath, Sheila." She slapped his arm playfully.  
  
"I call that flirting." Brandon said with a scowl. "Two can play at that game." Rebecca blinked and looked over at him.  
  
-  
  
"Wanna ride home with me?" St. John asked. Amara smiled brightly and nodded. "I've got the greatest car you'll ever see." They stopped by a black Mitsubishi. It had flames going up on the sides, in the front and on the trunk. Her eyes widened and she gasped. He kept it so neat, so clean. "I skipped sixth period and went to get it. It was up by where Mags used to be."  
  
"It looks so cool." She said. He opened the door for her and allowed her to get in. He then closed the door and walked over to the other side.  
  
"Want to go get something to drink?" She nodded excitedly. It felt like she was riding on clouds. He pulled up next to a little café and she got out. St. John followed her in and they picked out a booth. She stared out the window as she waited for her coffee.  
  
"Its starting to get chilly out." She said quietly. She felt awkward going out with him. She didn't know whether or not to consider it a date. She shook her head. No, they were just friends. She sighed longingly. She had a weird feeling whenever she was around him. She just got all happy and nervous around him.  
  
"Yeah, no more warm weather." He grinned. "As long as I have you or my lighter, I'll keep us warm." She blushed slightly and kept her gaze on the outside.  
  
"Well, aren't you the cutest couple." The waitress said with a smile as she gave them their coffee. Amara was about to say something but the waitress interrupted her. "You look like you get along so well. You have my blessings." She left before either of them could say anything. St. John shrugged.  
  
"We couldn't have said anything anyway." He calmly drank his coffee. She stared at him for a minute then looked down at her coffee. "Is anything wrong?" She looked back up and shook her head, taking a sip of her coffee.  
  
"No, why?"  
  
"You seem quiet." His eyes narrowed suspiciously. She raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Well, I've just been thinking about things." She blew softly to cool her drink. Then she sipped at it. He continued to stare at her.  
  
"Things like what?" He asked curiously. She paused.  
  
"Just stupid things.." She shifted nervously. He raised an eyebrow and stared at her, waiting for the real answer. "All right, fine. Things like school and the dance that's coming up this week.." She trailed off. She had told Brandon that she would think about it. Whenever she was around John she just forgot about him.  
  
"When is it?" He asked curiously. She looked down into her cup to see her reflection. She stayed silent for a minute.  
  
"Friday."  
  
"Two days from now?" He asked, to no one in particular. She didn't move, nor speak. She looked back up at him for a fleeting moment then looked away.  
  
"I can still feel your pain." She said suddenly. He looked up her, and, for a second, fear flashed in his eyes. "I can still see your memories."  
  
"Amara.." A delicate, crystal tear made its way down Amara's cheek as she stared at him.  
  
"It still haunts you, doesn't it?" Her voice was soft, afraid. "It still haunts me. All of it. I still see the pale, unconscious boy in the hospital bed. I still hear his scared voice." He looked down then got up and sat down next to her. Wordlessly, he brushed her tears away.  
  
"Yes, it still haunts me. Day and night. In sleep and not in sleep." He replied after a moment of silence. Then he stood up. "Let's go." She nodded and stood up, following after him after he put money on the table.  
  
-  
  
10-26-03  
  
-Jess- 


	5. Chapter 5

-Upon Flaming Wings-  
  
10-26-03  
  
-  
  
A scream shattered the silence. A blinding flash of fire disrupted the darkness. Amara ran as fast as she could. Her eyes were wide with fright. She ran with no sense of direction. She stared into nothing. Fog cleared and she stopped, skidding to a stop in front of a wall. She turned around slowly, afraid. A shudder ran through her. Tears fell from her eyes; eyes that held nothing but fear and betrayal. She hesitated before she backed up, falling through the wall that was supposed to be there. She fell into the mud. She forced herself to get up. Her eyes still focused on the wall, she saw 'him' come through. She turned around and heard the splashing of her feet in the mud. She could hear 'his' heavier ones advancing on her. Her breath quickened. She panted. She felt flames lick her face and her bare skin. She screamed. The mud hardened on her t-shirt and sweat pants as she fell back from the wall of flames. She turned her head and saw 'him' slowly walk toward her.  
  
-  
  
Amara screamed and her eyes snapped open. Her door flung open. She was in tears. She cried into her pillow and felt a light touch on her shoulder. She turned her head and looked back at Ororo.  
  
"Another nightmare?" Amara nodded and launched herself into Ororo's awaiting arms. She cried into the woman's shoulder as Ororo soothed her hair back. "You poor child."  
  
"Amara!" She looked up and found John in the doorway, his eyes wide with fear for her. "Are you okay?" He rushed over and she nodded. She shrank away from him and stayed in Storm's arms. This was going to be another long night.  
  
-  
  
Amara held her books to her chest and walked through the barren hallways. She was on her way to lunch and was walking slowly, dazed. Someone came up beside her and walked quietly for a moment by her side.  
  
"Amara, have you thought about the dance?" She jumped and looked over, her breathing quickening. She sighed. "Is there anything wrong?" She shook her head.  
  
"I just don't know, Brandon. I'm really sorry. Its been rough this week." He gave her a concerned look.  
  
"Stress?" She shrugged.  
  
"I don't know." Her voice was quiet, soft. He stayed silent then a thought hit him. He looked at her, to see a troubled expression on her face.  
  
"Its that boy, John, isn't it?" At that name, she sort of perked up. She turned to look at Brandon and shook her head.  
  
"We're just friends."  
  
"Right now." She gave him a confused look. "You two always flirt. I seen you before."  
  
"Hey, Amara!" John called to her from his locker. He slammed it shut and smiled at her. His eyes went to Brandon and his smile faded.  
  
"John.." She looked up at him. A flash of fear went through her eyes. He blinked.  
  
"Listen, Sheila, I don't know what happened last night.. I really wish you would tell me." She stiffened and stopped walking. Brandon didn't know what they were talking about but he quickly walked away, seeing John's glare. He hid around the corner.  
  
"I-I can't, St. John." She said softly. "I don't want to talk about it."  
  
"It was a nightmare.. I don't understand.." John trailed off. He felt left out and in the dark.  
  
"I promise that I'll tell you when I'm ready."  
  
"Okay."  
  
-  
  
Lightning flashed through the sky. Amara looked up. The ground and air seemed to shudder from the clap of thunder. Rain beat down on her. John tapped her on the arm and pointed over his shoulder. She nodded. She steadily made her way over to a tree to hide herself from the view of the enemy. She picked up her laser gun and took aim. She narrowed her eyes, waiting for the lightning. She pulled up her night-vision goggles. Scott was standing around, looking. He thought he was hidden, but he was wrong. She pulled the trigger and the red beam shot from the gun. It hit his system and it flashed. They only had one more to get. Signalling to John, who was hiding in a bush. She whispered in a headset.  
  
"I got Cyclops." She whispered. He nodded. Rogue's voice broke her concentration.  
  
"Logan is the only one left." She said. "Ah got 'im in mah sight."  
  
"Get him." She whispered back. She waited for the call of back-up but it never came. She signalled to John and moved forward. They tried to contact Rogue, but it was a failure.  
  
"Rogue jus' got hit." They heard Gambit's voice say through the connection. "Remy will take care o' it fo' us." Amara sighed.  
  
"Well, keep it down will ya?" She whispered. John smirked.  
  
"You'll get caught then have to run the lap of shame." He chuckled. Amara grabbed the back of his uniform and yanked him back. There was Logan and Gambit. They could see it clearly enough. She raised her gun, as did John.  
  
"Shoot." She whispered. They shot at him and screamed in victory when his system flashed. John grabbed her around the waist and spun her around as the jungle image faded, replaced with the Danger Room. They hugged each other, smiling.  
  
"We did it, mates!" Kitty, Rogue, Gambit, and Bobby cheered. Logan rolled his eyes and Scott sighed. Jean crossed her arms and Kurt smiled a little out of happiness for the other team. Jubilee and Piotr, who just came back from visiting his family in Russia, shook their heads.  
  
-  
  
Amara was afraid to sleep but she was exhausted. She pulled the covers up and and closed her eyes. She opened them again and turned her lamp on. She shivered. Her eyes focused on the balcony doors. She hugged her legs to her and bit her lip. A soft knock nearly made her jump out of her skin. She looked over at the door and got up. She opened it and peered out. John smiled at her.  
  
"Can I come in for a minute?" She nodded, allowing him to enter. He sat down on her bed and she sat down next to him. "How do you feel?" She shrugged.  
  
"I.. I don't know." Her eyes went to the floor, as if she was afraid to look at him.  
  
"If you need anything, don't be afraid to knock on my door, okay?" She nodded and watched as he left. "Besides, Wolvie better get some sleep before he starts taking it out on us."  
  
"Thank you, St. John." She said and he turned around, smiling at her. He left.  
  
"'Night, love." She watched him leave with a sort of longing for him to come back.  
  
"Good night." She whispered. She sighed and laid down.  
  
-  
  
Rain hit Amara hard and she wiped it off her forehead. She was walking the dark, quiet streets of Bayville. She walked along in the rain, looking around her, having no idea where she was supposed to be going. She passed Bayville High and the park. She turned into an alley, not knowing where her feet were leading her. She shivered. The cold rain glimmered on her skin in the light of the full, silver moon. A shadow passed over the moon. She jumped when a trash can fell over.  
  
"Who's there?" She whispered in a scared voice. A black cat made its way into the light and she sighed with relief. Returning to her walk, she found a wooden door. Lying her hand on the knob, she was about to turn it. It opened and a man grabbed her. His grip was strong and it hurt her arm. She struggled against his grasp. "Let me go!" He tightened his grip and she winced. He put a hand over her mouth and pulled her in.  
  
"Calm yourself down, Sheila."  
  
-  
  
Amara opened her eyes. She shook her head and sat up. She took got up and opened the door, peeking out. She then closed it silently behind her. Her footsteps were light and soundless against the carpet as she snuck to the room next to hers. She knocked then opened the door. John slept peacefully on his bed. His back was turned toward the door. She closed the door behind her and crept over to his bed. She put her hand on his shoulder and shook him gently.  
  
"Hmm?" He stretched and opened his eyes, rolling onto his back. "Love?" He propped himself up on his elbows. Her eyes were large and full of fear. "What happened?" He sat up and opened his arms, accepting her into his embrace. She shook her head. How could she tell him that she was dreaming her torture or death from him? How could she tell him that he was her attacker in her nightmares?  
  
"Just hold me.. please?" He nodded and rested his head in her hair. He rocked her like a baby until her breathing slowed and became peaceful. She didn't cry. She was just scared.  
  
"That's it, love. Sleep." He looked at the clock. Midnight. He laid her next to him and pulled the covers over her. He held her in his protective embrace, keeping nightmares away. "I'll protect your dreams."  
  
-  
  
Amara woke up. She felt so fully refreshed.  
  
"Wake up, love." She looked over and blinked. "Its almost time for the calling." She gasped and threw the covers off herself. Hurrying back to her room, she made sure no one saw her. She ran into her room and started getting dressed. Someone knocked on her door. She opened it after she pulled her red shirt over her head.  
  
"Any nightmares, Amara?" Ororo asked with a smile. Amara nodded.  
  
"I didn't scream." She said with a shrug. She pulled on her socks then her shoes. Grabbing a brush on the way out, Amara brushed her hair as she walked down the hallway, Ororo following.  
  
"Oi, what's for breakfast?" John asked, coming up behind them. Ororo shrugged.  
  
"Who knows what Kitty was trying to make. It looked sort of green." Amara's eyes widened in horror and she made a face.  
  
"I'm not eating anything for breakfast." John raised his eyebrow.  
  
"If we leave now, we can catch some breakfast somewhere." She nodded and smiled.  
  
"Sounds better than Kitty's cooking."  
  
-  
  
Amara ate her eggs and bacon. John ate the same. There was still a while before they had to go to school.  
  
"The dance is tonight." She sighed and took a sip of her orange juice. "I'm pretty sure Brandon has a date by now. I can't ask him to take me now."  
  
"Do you want to go with him?" John asked. His food fell off his fork, but he didn't notice. He just left it halfway to his mouth. She shrugged.  
  
"Not really.. I just don't like him as much as I thought I did." He raised an eyebrow. "I love someone else.." She was telling him the truth. She did love someone else. She loved him. And still did, even after those horrible nightmares.  
  
"Who?" His voice was quiet. She didn't answer. She sat there in silence. "Well, if you don't have a date, then will you go with me?" She looked up at him, hope shining in her eyes. He flashed her two tickets. "I have an extra and you're the first and last person I've asked."  
  
"I'd love to!" A smile appeared on her face. She felt warm all over. It was the best feeling in the world. With the exception of him being near her. She couldn't wait until the dance. She had to tell him, to give her heart to him. She couldn't wait to do it.  
  
-  
  
10-26-03  
  
-Jess- 


	6. Chapter 6

-Upon Flaming Wings-  
  
10-26-03  
  
-  
  
The day was going by so slow for Amara. She watched the clock in anticipation.  
  
"What's the matter, Amara?" Rebecca asked, blinking. "You're staring at the clock as if you can't wait for this to be over." Amara looked over at her and frowned.  
  
"I can't!" She hissed. They were in study class. Next was lunch. Amara just couldn't wait. She needed to get out of here. Sighing, she stared at the clock.  
  
This was going to be a long day.  
  
-  
  
Amara gazed at the mirror. She couldn't decide what to wear. She gave a glance at a black miniskirt and a blue tank top with a pair of low-heeled, black sandals. Someone knocked on her door. She opened it, slipping into her bathrobe. Kitty smiled at her.  
  
"Like, hey, Amara! Are you going to the dance too?" Amara nodded.  
  
"Yeah, but I can't think of anything to wear." She frowned then sighed. "I was thinking on this."  
  
"That's a cute outfit. I think you should, like, totally wear it." Kitty nodded approvingly. "Now, can I do your hair?"  
  
"Sure." Kitty left to get her things and Amara put the clothes on. Kitty came back with brushes, a curling iron, hair spray, and a few hair ties. She sat at the vanity and watched in the mirror as Kitty did her hair. She decided on a few things first then nodded to herself.  
  
"This will, like, totally look great on you." She left a few longer strands with her bangs, to frame her face, then she put the rest of the top back. The rest of her hair would hang down, curled. Once Kitty was done, she put a little hair spray in to hold it. Smiling at her victory, she presented it to Amara, who didn't watch her.  
  
"I love it!" Amara exclaimed with a huge smile. She stood up and hugged Kitty. They calmed down then sat down on Amara's bed. "Is Lance taking you?" Kitty nodded with a smile.  
  
"He's picking me up." She shivered in delight. "So, who are you going with?" She elbowed Amara, who mumbled something. Kitty leaned closer, unable to hear her.  
  
"John."  
  
"You mean, Pyro?" At Amara's nod, Kitty squealed. "You two look positively cute together!"  
  
"Can I tell you something, Kitty?" Amara asked hesitantly. Kitty nodded. "Promise me you won't tell anyone."  
  
"I, like, promise." Amara took a deep breath.  
  
"I love him." She whispered. She bit her lip then looked up. "We've done so much together and spent so much time together. I felt warm all over when he asked me to the dance. It was the good kind of feeling." Kitty smiled knowingly.  
  
"I know what you're talking about." She paused.  
  
"Kitty!" Ororo shouted from downstairs. "Lance is here!"  
  
"Coming!" She winked at Amara. "Don't be, like, nervous. I'm almost positive that he loves you back."  
  
"Thanks, Kit." She watched the girl leave with a bounce in her step. "I only hope I have enough courage to say it.." Someone knocked at her door again. This time, it was her 'date'.  
  
"Hey there, love." John smiled at her when he opened the door. "How're ya?" He was amazed at how nicely she dressed up. She looked beautiful. He blinked and held his hand out to her, helping her to stand. "We better get goin' ourselves."  
  
-  
  
When they entered, the noise made Amara cover her ears. John grabbed her hand and led her in. They brushed up against people and got bumped around.  
  
"I'll get us something to drink." Amara said, letting go of his hand. She shivered and walked over to the punch bowl.  
  
"Hey, Amara." Brandon said with a smile. He looked her up and down. "Are you here by yourself?" She poured two glasses of punch. "No? Well then, who're you here with?"  
  
"Amara!" Rogue smiled at her. "Hand meh a glass, would ya?"  
  
"Who are you here with, Rogue?" Amara asked curiously. Rogue shrugged.  
  
"Ah jus' tagged along with Evan an' his date. Ah'm leavin' them alone now, though." She winked at Amara. "See ya back at home."  
  
"Okay!" Amara smiled and picked the glasses up, remembering Brandon. "If you must know, I am here with someone." She left to go and find John. Familiar arms wrapped around her.  
  
"Enjoyin' yourself already?" John asked, taking a glass from her hand. "Thanks." She smiled then set the cup down. "Wanna dance?"  
  
"Sure." He took her hand and found a suitable spot. She felt awkward dancing in fast-paced music. They started a slow song next, much to the relief of Amara. The lighting was dim and perfect for the slow music. He held her close to him as they moved fluidly. "St. John? There's something I want to tell you.." She trailed off. Her voice was soft and she was whispering. He leaned down a little, to hear her better.  
  
"Don't be nervous, love. Tell me." He said softly. She swallowed the lump in her throat. She didn't know how to say it. That was mostly the problem.  
  
"I.." She bit her lip. He smiled warmly at her. He sort of figured out, or hoped he did, what she wanted to say. In one courageous moment, she leaned up and kissed him. It didn't last long, but it said what she wanted to. He saw her look down and blush. He felt the heat radiating off her. He cupped her face in one hand and tilted it upward. She stared into his eyes, blushing. He smiled then brought his lips to hers. He pulled away and just hugged her close until the song ended. Another fast-paced one started but Amara was not in the mood for dancing. She felt giddy, sure, but not to dance.  
  
"You're not dancing." He pointed out. She shrugged.  
  
"I think I might stand over there.." He was going to say something then decided against it.  
  
-  
  
Amara and John exited the dance, hand-in-hand. She shivered and he wrapped an arm around her, instead.  
  
"I never thought this would happen when I met you." Amara admitted quietly. They walked near Bayville Park. A cold, chill breeze blew and caused him to take his over shirt off and set it lightly on her shoulders.  
  
"Well, its happened and that's all that matters." She leaned her head on his shoulder and smiled. This was the best night of her life.  
  
-  
  
Rogue got into the institute a little early. Gambit was sitting in the kitchen, writing a letter to his family. He growled in agitation and crumpled it up, throwing it over his shoulder, into the garbage can.  
  
"What's up, Swamp rat?" She asked, peeking over the table. He looked up and a small smile appeared on his face. He shrugged.  
  
"Jean-Luc an' de otha members o' Remy's family be expectin' a letter." He said calmly.  
  
"Sounds like ya gettin' a little aggravated ta meh." He nodded.  
  
"Dis be frustratin' work." He looked back down and scowled darkly. "Remy don' even wanna write t' dem."  
  
"Don't if ya don' wanna." She shrugged and sat down across from him.  
  
"Pourquoi?" She stared at him then shrugged. (Why?) He then grinned at her. "Rogue be all dressed up an' nowhere t' g'." She smiled and raised her eyebrow.  
  
"If ya wanna join meh outside, then be mah guest." He practically jumped up and pulled her out of her chair by the hand.  
  
"Remy t'inks dat be a great idea." She smiled at him and they walked outside to enjoy the fresh evening air together.  
  
-  
  
Amara pulled on her nightgown and sat on her bed. She wasn't tired. She felt so wonderful. She smiled, gazing at herself in the mirror. Her smile faded. She stood up and went out onto the balcony. Leaning over, she thought about her nightmares. She was very happy with St. John. How come she was having such bad nightmares about him? She reached out and plucked a leaf from its slow descent toward the ground.  
  
"You okay, love?"  
  
"I'm fine." She whispered. He took the leaf from her hand and twirled it around before he let it go.  
  
"I'm glad that I didn't eat Kitty's muffins." She looked at him over her shoulder and raised an eyebrow.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Kitty was baking when I went downstairs. She wanted me to taste-test them." She paled. "Kurt got it bad. So did Lance."  
  
"They offered?"  
  
"Lance didn't want to make her cry and Kurt just felt bad about it."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"He said that he had a good time at the dance with Amanda." She smiled.  
  
"I think everyone had fun. I know I did." He kissed her forehead.  
  
"I know someone who needs their sleep."  
  
"No." She shook her head and hugged him. She was afraid to sleep now. Ever since that night she had slept with him, she was afraid to sleep alone. Afraid of the nightmares that would haunt her.  
  
"Don't worry, love. The same offer still remains open. If you need anything at all, don't be afraid to come to my room." She breathed a sigh and let go of him.  
  
"Thank you.. for the other night." He smiled and ruffled her hair.  
  
"No problem. 'Night, love." He left, leaving her on the balcony alone. She sighed. She felt so empty. She shivered and went back inside, to her room.  
  
-  
  
Amara bit into her donut. She played with a strand of her hair and looked over as Kurt bamf-ed into the kitchen.  
  
"Good morning, Amara." He greeted her with a smile. "Ready for ze long day of training zat Logan vill put us through?" She nodded.  
  
"Yeah, how about you?" He nodded.  
  
"Hey, I am ze Fuzzy One!" She laughed.  
  
"Of course you are." She shook her head. "What teams do you think we'll be in?" He shrugged.  
  
"I zink zat you and Pyro vill be team captains." She frowned. He grinned. "Am I going to be on your team?"  
  
"Maybe." She gave him a sly smile. He gave her a wide-eyed innocent smile. "Why would I not pick the 'Fuzzy One' for my team?" He shrugged.  
  
"If you don't, you're nuts."  
  
-  
  
Team Magma - *Order in rank* Amara, Rogue, Logan, Storm, Kurt, Kitty, Ray, Sam, and Bobby.  
  
Team Pyro - St. John, Gambit, Piotr, Scott, Jubilee, Evan, Rahne, Roberto, and Jean.  
  
-  
  
10-27-03  
  
-Jess- 


	7. Chapter 7

-Upon Flaming Wings-  
  
10-27-03  
  
-  
  
Rogue and Amara walked together on the rocky terrain. They used their headsets to keep in touch with the others on their team.  
  
"See anyone yet?" Amara asked them. Silence.  
  
"I see Cyclops and Red." Logan said. She froze. She heard something. A rock fell down the hill beside them. Rogue nodded and Amara walked forward. She pressed her back against the rocks. Rogue ran out more and looked up, aiming her laser gun at Evan. He aimed at her. She ran back toward Amara then climbed up onto a small ledge. She hid behind a rock and took aim again.  
  
"Spyke is down." She high-fived Amara.  
  
"Where there's one, there's more." She looked around. There was no one. She crept silently over to the corner of the cliff. She peered around. No one. She was starting to grow nervous and frustrated. She waved to Rogue. "We've gotta climb. Just be quiet."  
  
"I got Jubes." Bobby said. There was a little static. Amara pointed up. Rogue went first. She got to the top and there was a little commotion. Suddenly, the image faded and Amara fell to the ground. She stood up, rubbing her backside.  
  
"What's goin' on?" Rogue asked. The professor came in and regarded them with a grim look.  
  
"Magnus has struck. He is in the city." He paused for a minute. "We must hurry."  
  
"You got it prof." Evan said. Everyone rushed out of the room and threw off their headsets and laser systems.  
  
"Please hurry!"  
  
-  
  
Amara and John exited the X-Jet together. They stood side-by-side, staring in amazement at the damage done by just Sabretooth and Magneto. Rogue and Gambit came out next with everyone else on their heels.  
  
"Dis is horrible." Gambit's eyes widened.  
  
"Crikey." John's eyes roamed over cars that were embedded in buildings, signs that were bent right in half, and people running around like chickens with their heads cut off. Sabretooth hit Logan, who hit him back. They started fighting while the others all split up to find Magneto.  
  
"C'mon, St. John. Let's go find Magneto and put an end to this." Amara grabbed his hand in reassurance. He noticed her look of concern.  
  
"We're comin' with ya." Rogue said, frowning. "Ah don't like any o' this." Gambit nodded.  
  
"Groups be harder t' throw down." They raced off. Someone grabbed Amara. She cried out in pain and struggled against the grip that was like steel.  
  
"Put 'er down!" John shouted. Magneto smirked. Rogue got grabbed and her hands were pulled behind her back and someone held her wrists. She struggled.  
  
"Come, Sabretooth. We are done here." They took off. Gambit and John chased after them, fury burning in their eyes. They stopped, realizing that Magneto and Sabretooth were gone. John sank to the ground, his face in his hands. Gambit clenched his fists and pounded them into the big brick wall of the alley they were in. His eyes dimmed with pain.  
  
"Dey be gone.."  
  
"MAGNETO!" John pounded his fist into the ground. He never imagined such torture was possible. He remembered the dance. The feeling of Amara in his arms. Gambit was just remembering Rogue's face and her slight smile.  
  
"He is goin' t' pay." They were so pissed off. Logan eventually found them. John was staring up at the sky with a look of pure malice. Gambit was leaning against the wall playing with his cards. He had a few left, with the packs he had in his pocket of his trench coat.  
  
"Where are the girls?" Just that sentence ticked the two off. Gambit charged a card and threw it at a battered up garbage can. John took out his lighter and threw fireballs at the brick wall. There was already a huge burn spot on the wall.  
  
"Magneto." John said, continuing to throw fireballs at the wall. He snarled at Logan when he walked forward.  
  
"You gotta be kiddin' me."  
  
"Do I look like I'm kidding?" He glared at Logan.  
  
"Dey took 'em.. Roguey.."  
  
"Amara.."  
  
-  
  
Rogue was the first to wake up. She stared at the blurry ceiling.. stone ceiling. She sat up and a sharp pain went right down her spine. She looked over at her unconscious cellmate. Amara had a cut on her forehead and a bruise was forming on her right cheek. Rogue touched her hand to her forehead and winced. This was confusing. Why would Magneto want them? A small groan passed Amara's lips as she fought to sit up. The room felt like it was spinning.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"Ah'm not really sure.." Rogue answered. She knew she was a captive of Magneto, that much was clear by all the metal once she looked around. "All Ah know is that we need ta get outta here."  
  
"How?"  
  
"Can't fire melt metal?"  
  
"Yeah.." Rogue took off her glove. "What are you doing?"  
  
"Ah'm only gonna touch ya fo' a second. Ta get ya're powahs so it'll be easier fo' us ta get out." Amara nodded and reached out her hand. Rogue touched her but she found that she couldn't move her hand. Amara passed out and Rogue was able to pull her hand away.   
  
"You will not be leaving so soon." Magneto's voice echoed in the room. She checked for a pulse, ignoring what he said. Amara was alive. She locked away the power. She got a dose of Amara's memories. She was really attracted to John and him to her.  
  
"We need ta get outta here, Amara. Wake up." Amara didn't stir. "C'mon!"  
  
-  
  
Amara opened her eyes. She looked over to see Rogue sleeping peacefully in the corner, curled up into a ball. They really couldn't do a thing. Sabretooth walked by and Amara closed her eyes, hoping against hope that he didn't know she was awake. She heard him growl and a door slam. She waited for a few minutes before daring to open her eyes or move again.  
  
"Rogue?" She whispered. She crawled over quietly and tried to shake the girl awake. "Rogue, wake up."  
  
"Huh?" Rogue opened her eyes and blinked up at Amara. "Is it clear?"  
  
"I think so."  
  
"We'd bettah get outta here befo' they suspect." They both stood up and went to the metal doors. Amara started to melt the metal. It felt really good to get her anger out on it. "Hurry."  
  
"I'm trying to do this as fast as I can." Amara whispered harshly. She made a hole and they both exited. Rogue led the way and they went out through the doors. Something was up. There was no way it was this easy to escape Magneto's clutches.  
  
"Somethin's wrong." Amara turned toward Rogue.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Ah dunno, but Ah feel it. It shouldn't be this easy." Amara had an uneasy feeling too, but she didn't know what to do now.  
  
"What do we do, then?"  
  
"Ah don't know." Rogue bit her lip. "We can't stay here, but we'll get caught in some clevah trap." This was going to be a hard situation to get out of.  
  
"Couldn't we fight? I mean, that's what training is for." Rogue stared at her then shook her head.  
  
"No, we can't. We couldn't beat Mags unless someone distracted 'im an' Ah was able to absorb him." They looked at each other. They had a plan.  
  
-  
  
11-10-03  
  
Sorry for the delay. Writer's block mayhem.  
  
AngieX - Yes! Romy. Whenever I write an X-Men fic, it will always contain Romy.  
  
PyroSprite - I'm trying to keep it from getting bad.  
  
P.S. - No rotten fruit, please.  
  
Amara Aquilla - Of course I'm continuing!  
  
Personage - Oh, I meant it. Jean is the worst character they created. Scott comes second, right after her. I just can't stand them.  
  
Taryn Eithne - Meh, I've went to one dance in my entire life. ONE. And I'm proud of it.  
  
Starfire - No prob. ;)  
  
ishandahalf - "Aww!" Lol. ^^;  
  
SkyDancerHawk - I will!  
  
Ken no Kakera - It was sort of competitive..  
  
Hope ya liked this one.. seemingly like you did the last ones. 'Night. 


	8. Sorry

Okay, all. This is how it is. Sorry for waiting so long. Got caught up in a lot of stuff and trying to finish things up, plus going away a lot. Anyway, I remember writing the next chapter but, sadly, it got deleted when we reformatted the computer. So, if you can wait just a little longer, I promise to have the next chapter up for you sometime this week.

Thanks.


	9. Chapter 8

-Upon Flaming Wings-  
  
8-17-04

X  
  
Amara walked forward, her steps as quiet as she could make them.  
  
"Going somewhere?" She froze. Her brown eyes found Sabertooth, standing on top of a stack of crates.  
  
"Actually, I was hoping for a game before I left." He growled and jumped down at her. She moved quickly out of the way, forming magma in her hands.  
  
"Too bad. 'Cause if I win, you ain't goin' anywhere."  
  
"And if I win, I can leave." She smiled sweetly at him, making sure that she didn't walk into any crates as she backed up. He moved forward and lunged. "Too bad, fleabag!" She launched her magma at him, hoping at least to wound him enough so that she had the advantage. He managed to dodge and hit her, both flying back into the crates. Amara punched and kicked at him, her hands flaming with her power. She connected twice before he grabbed her arm and flung her into the wall. She cried out and made an effort to get up. She could take a few hits..  
  
"Looks like you're just a little girl with big dreams. You'll never get out of here alive." She winced and panted, taking caution not to breathe too deeply in case she got dizzy.  
  
"That's what you think, fur ball.." She said in a pained voice.

X  
  
"I'm not sittin' here while Mags could be torturing them!" John exclaimed, his emerald eyes filled with anguish.  
  
"We cannot do anything about it." Ororo said calmly. "We cannot attack Magneto's fortress without a plan first."  
  
"How about we blast in there and fight until we beat them?" Remy asked, crossing his arms. "Save your planning for when they're safe. I'm an ex-thief. I can get in there."  
  
"With Sabertooth on the lookout?" Logan asked, crossing his arms. Remy's dark eyes narrowed.  
  
"I can get in there." He stated coldly.  
  
"Use your head for once, Gumbo."  
  
"Stop fighting, you two."  
  
"Storm is right. Fighting amongst ourselves will get us nowhere. And planning is what we need to do." Xavier wheeled in, basically out of nowhere, like he always does.. and did that steeple thing with his hands. "In any case, I am certain that Magneto has planned that we go there."  
  
"Look, pal, I don't care if you don't want me to or not, I'm going." John scowled. "If you ain't gonna back me up, that's fine with me. I'll have my mate, Gambit, help me."  
  
"Sure, mon ami." Remy gave him a small smile.  
  
"'Sides, there's a lot more to lose than a battle." The pyromaniac gave them all a look.  
  
"It is not wise-"  
  
"I don't care what's wise!" Both John and Remy exclaimed in unison. Scott came in from outside and looked around. Pyro turned and saw him standing in the way.  
  
"Move it, Scooter." He pushed Scott out of the way and left. Remy followed shortly after.

X  
  
Rogue moved as quietly as a shadow, hearing the commotion of Amara battling Sabertooth. She froze when a shadow fell on her from above. She looked up and scowled.  
  
"Y'all have ESP or somethin'?" She asked sarcastically. Magneto lowered himself down to the floor, his cape billowing around him. "Okay, buckethead, I understand that we're being held captive. Well, that's just peachy and all but I have a date with some text books."  
  
"You are not leaving, Rogue."  
  
"Purdy please, Sugah? I really need to keep that date." He stared at her. She stared back, just as hard. "If y'all ain't gonna let us go nicely, then I'm gonna have to use my skills on your-"  
  
"Enough talking. You have no hopes of getting out of here alive."  
  
"HAH!" She put her hands on her hips and smirked. "See, now, that's the thing. We're gonna have to work on that attitude problem of yours, Sug." He held his hand out and she felt the pull of his powers against some of her metal possessions.  
  
"Enough talk."  
  
"So, you're all action, huh? Better that way." She concentrated Amara's powers that she had absorbed before and threw it his way. While he was concentrating on getting out of the way of her attacks, she ran at him and reached for his neck. She froze before she made it, however. But she got her chance when Amara flew at them, having been thrown by Saberooth, hitting Magneto before he could react. Rogue worked quickly, wasting no time in hesitating. "Gotcha." She winked at him, sucking away at his power and life-force.  
  
"Come on, we gotta.. get out of here.." Amara looked pretty beaten up but so did Sabertooth. She noticed, with a snicker, that some of his fur was singed and even, in some places, missing. Mags passed out and they got up, running away from the mad kitty.  
  
"Looks like you did a number on him, 'Mara. It'll take him months to get rid of those bald spots." Rogue was very amused. But there was no time for that. She went through the dose of memories she had and picked out the closest exit. "This way." Rogue used her new powers, courtesy of your evil neighborhood Magneto. "There's a dark hallway down there. Think ya can help light the way?" Amara nodded and smiled slightly. They climbed down as quickly as they could and then lit their hands up, running as fast as they could. Too bad they weren't even halfway there when the metal ceiling began to creak and shift.  
  
"He must be conscious!" Amara said worriedly just as the ceiling began to fall.

X  
  
"Hurry up, would you!?" St. John cried as he thought about what might be happening to the girls. "My grandma can drive faster than you!"  
  
"Yeah, well, not everyone's grandma qualified for the Senior Grand Prix." Remy snapped, tightening his grip on the steering wheel.  
  
"Hey, hey, hey. No dissing the Senior Grand Prix."  
  
"Oh, so I can't say that I could beat them on a bicycle?" John glared at him.  
  
"Then why can't you floor it?"  
  
"Because of the cops. They hate us 'muties' as it is." Remy rolled his eyes. "'Sides, I'm already goin' 20 miles per hour over the speed limit!"  
  
".." They saw the place come into view. "That's it!"  
  
"Thank you, Captain Dip-"  
  
"Enough of the sarcasm, okay?" As soon as the car stopped, both of them were out the doors. "Which door to use.. There's six of them!"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"Well, you're the ex-thief!" Remy sighed and slapped his forehead. The ONLY reason he was here was because of Rogue.. and Amara. He sort of wished he could hog-tie and gag his Austrailian buddy. He pressed his ear to one door and heard something odd so he fiddled with the lock until the doorknob turned and..  
  
"Bingo."  
  
"I know that song! B-I-"  
  
"If you don't stop that, I'm going to hurt you." John started to whistle innocently until they heard cries from inside. "That's them.."  
  
"We have to hurry, mate! Open the damn door!" Remy opened the door and was shocked to see that Rogue had her hands in the air, her eyes glowing and sweat rolling down her forehead. Amara couldn't control metal but she could melt it to help. "Hurry up!" John ran forward and grabbed Amara around the waist, Remy did the same to Rogue.  
  
"It's okay, Rogue. I've got you." He said in her ear so that she didn't go all kung-fu on him. They left as quickly as possible and before Magneto realized that they got out alive.

X  
  
There were open-mouthed, shocked stares all around. Amara and Rogue had just told them of their brave escape.  
  
"Well, it's obvious that he'll be pissed off about this. We should-"  
  
"Avoid fighting him now at all costs." Professor X frowned. "He is no doubt angered at our obvious advantage."  
  
"Professor, I got a dose of his thoughts. You know, he was plannin' to use us. He wants us to lose our powers 'cause he knows that we ain't gonna agree with him about his opinion. He was gonna use us to show you that his choice should prevail. Whether we were normal or not now, we would still be called freaks and mutants." Rogue spoke up, frowning. "That's what he did to St. John."  
  
"Professor! I have great news!" Mr. McCoy raced in and held up papers. "I did as you requested."  
  
"Rogue, then, you will need to come with us." The three left and, while their attention was on their thoughts, Amara slipped away. But she was unaware that someone followed her. She went into her room and to her balcony, leaning on the railing.  
  
"Love? You all right?" She jumped at the sound of the Austrailian's low voice. She whirled around and smiled at him.  
  
"Yeah, I'm okay. Just a little sore from the beating I got.."  
  
"You did good, from what you told us and what Rogue said. I'm proud of both of you for teaching that bastard a lesson." He took her hands and grinned. She blushed.  
  
"W-Well.." She took her hands from his and turned back around, letting the calm breeze play with her hair. "I want to thank you for coming and getting us. That was brave to defy orders and try to set us free."  
  
"Well.. I just couldn't stand by and let you get hurt." He turned her around and gave her a soft kiss, his arms dropping to encircle her waist. Her arms went around his neck. Then he broke it and pulled away, a secretive smile on his face. "I'll let you get yourself situated. Don't be afraid to knock." He left and she stood there, her eyes stinging slightly from tears. She brought her hand up to her lips and smiled.

X  
  
I told you! I kept my promise of the end of the week! Hope it makes up for all the time I lost.. I'll try to update.  
  
-Jess


	10. Chapter 9

-Upon Flaming Wings-  
  
8-26-04  
  
X  
  
Any sane person could see.. err, hear there was a fight booming at Xavier's Institute.  
  
"AM NOT!"  
  
"ARE SO!"  
  
"SHUT UP!" Everyone was trying to calm Rogue down enough to stop screaming at a wide-eyed Remy. Amara was just coming back when she sighed and shook her head, hearing their shouts from the front yard.  
  
"I wouldn't go inside if I were you." A voice said to her left. She looked over and noticed John sitting on the grass. "It's a bloody battlefield in there. It's like WW5."  
  
"World War 5?" She blinked.  
  
"Yeah. They've had 3 and 4 already. Remember?" She let out a sigh.  
  
"Although, those weren't Rogue and Remy."  
  
"Right. 3 was Remy and Scooter and 4 was Remy and Wolvie." Amara slapped her forehead. "Now, I don't mean to go and blame my mate, Rem. It's just that everyone else seems to start 'em."  
  
"Wonder who number 6 will go to.." She mumbled dryly, setting her hand on the doorknob.  
  
"Probably Rogue and Remy." John stated, rolling his eyes.  
  
"I hope they settle down so that I don't need to take Aspirin." She walked inside and closed the door behind her. Shouting was now calming down to the point where only those in the same room as the fight got bleeding eardrums.  
  
"Hey, 'Mara."  
  
"Hey, Ray." She smiled at him then began putting the groceries away.  
  
"Your turn to do the shopping?"  
  
"Yeah." She smiled slyly. "And, if I'm not mistaken, you're next." He groaned. "Will you help me unload?"  
  
"Sure, why not."  
  
X  
  
"Pfft." John scoffed, flipping another card. "So, now, you're giving each other the silent treatment?" He chuckled. "You two are original."  
  
"Shut up, John." Remy glared at him. "'Sides, she wouldn't talk to me anyway. She's stubborn, that one."  
  
"Got quite the temper." John stated with a nod. "Jus' like all the other Sheilas here."  
  
"Tell me about it." They gazed at their hands. "How are you an' 'Mara doin'?"  
  
"Just fine." The Aussie grinned. "Probably the best relationship I've ever been in." He set a card down. "I couldn't begin to imagine the relationship you an' Ro' have."  
  
"It ain't my fault."  
  
"What started it?"  
  
"I don't want to talk about it." The Cajun said sternly.  
  
"It's worse than I thought."  
  
"Shut up." John just shrugged.  
  
"Not my fault either, mate." Remy growled at him. "And stop that. You remind me too much of Rogue that way."  
  
"Hmph."  
  
"Real original, you two are."  
  
X  
  
Amara banged her head on the desk.  
  
"Something wrong?" A voice asked behind her. She looked over at her friend, Rebecca.  
  
"Oh, no. Of course not. Just tired. Extremely tired."  
  
"You look like you got jumped.."  
  
"Basically. Long story that I don't want to talk about." She said with a shrug.  
  
"Street fight? You never were one to fight."  
  
"How do you know?" Amara suddenly snapped. Then she sighed and lowered her head to the desk again. "Sorry. I'm on edge."  
  
"Was it that John guy?"  
  
"What do you mean 'was it John?'" Amara lifted her head and leaned it on her fist. "Are you accusing him of-" Rebecca shook her head.  
  
"No, no! I would never do such a thing." She rolled her eyes at her friend's dark look. "Don't be so suspicious, okay? I was only wondering what he was all about. And when did you meet him? What's he like?"  
  
"Why are you so interested all of a sudden?"  
  
"Because, he, like, appeared out of nowhere and all of a sudden you two are awfully cozy at the dance!" Amara stayed silent.  
  
"We've been friends for a while." She admitted softly. "And he's been nothing but sweet to me."  
  
"He could be out for only one thing."  
  
"No, he isn't that type. Believe me." She added emphasis to her last statement and winked. "He's super sweet. You should meet him."  
  
"'Kay!" Becca seemed to jump at the idea.  
  
"During lunch?"  
  
"Sounds great."  
  
X  
  
Rebecca looked around for Amara in the hallway and saw her walking hand-in-hand with John. She decided a little spying needed to be done.  
  
"I didn't think you would be ready to come back so soon after that jerk-" Amara stopped and lifted her finger to his lips.  
  
"I don't want to talk about it." She said quietly. "The thing is, I was so relieved to see that you came to get me. Rogue and I couldn't hold out much longer or run from them."  
  
"I never would have left you there and you know that." Becca stared as he leaned down and kissed her. He pulled back quickly and gripped her hand tighter. "Come on." She smiled.  
  
"How did WW5 end? Or is the battle still raging?" He coughed and tried not to laugh as he told her most of what Remy had said to him. "It's still going on?"  
  
"They vowed not to speak to each other.. or more like Rogue refuses to even give him the time of day. Glad that ain't happenin' with us, Sheila." She laughed.  
  
"That would happen if you screwed up big time. So, he didn't tell you what caused it?"  
  
"No." He stated in a matter-of-fact voice.  
  
"Oh, and by the way, I'm going to introduce you to my friend Rebecca when we get to lunch. She wants to meet you." She poked him. "And you have to behave."  
  
"Me? Behave?" He grinned innocently at her.  
  
"Never." She stuck her tongue out at him when he rolled his eyes.  
  
"Now that, my love, was very unfair." He frowned at her. "We never had the fairness talk, have we?"  
  
"No." She laughed. "Which was probably why it was an unfair shot."  
  
"Below the belt."  
  
"Not that unfair, mind you, St. John." He gasped sharply and bent over, breathing hard.  
  
"It felt like it!" She bit her lip to keep her laughter in.  
  
"Come on, we have to get to lunch."  
  
X  
  
"How many times have I told ya not to talk to me!?" Rogue screamed, slamming her door. Amara sighed and watched as Remy growled and stormed back to his room, also adding a courtesy slam of his door.  
  
"Fine! I won't!" Kitty put her hands on her hips as she blew her bangs from her eyes.  
  
"This has to, like, stop soon. She's in a bad mood constantly because of some stupid comment. It's, like, so frustrating." The bouncy brunette pouted.  
  
"Well, it isn't likely to happen if I know either of them as much as I think I do." John mumbled, walking down the hallway to his room from the shower.  
  
"It's, like, so unfair!" Kitty threw up her arms before rolling her eyes and going on her way downstairs. Amara was left alone in the hallway, her eyes on the closed doors.  
  
'If they don't make up soon, I'm going to strangle them.' She thought to herself. She went to her room and put on her headphones and started on her book. Time for a nice relaxing hour or two. She hoped.  
  
X  
  
Hmm.. Short chapter, I know! But hey, I guess I needed to update, anyway. Kind of mostly a 'nothing' chapter. Nothing big happens. Better than nothing, though, right? ::looks around:: Too quiet..  
  
9-22-04 


	11. Chapter 10

-Upon Flaming Wings- 

**X**

The flames danced at the edges of the cobblestone path as she walked along, barefooted and only in her tank top and shorts. She continued walking, her brown eyes focused on the figure ahead of her. The stones were cold and made her shiver with each step she took. The flames seemed to writhe against the hold that was containing them. Suddenly, the figure ahead of her made himself painfully visible.

"St. John!" She extended her hand to him and a smile lit her face. It faded as soon as she saw the expression on his face. Pure, unguarded hatred. "W-What's wrong?" She was suddenly surrounded by a circle of hot, orange flames. His emerald eyes held her enthralled. She felt tears slide down her face. "Why are you doing this to me?" Her voice was soft; filled with pain and love.

"You betrayed me." With each cold word, his flames darted closer to her, wanting to lick her faultless skin.

"I swear to you that I never did any such thing." She continued to look into his eyes as the circle of fire around her grew smaller. He said nothing more. Instead, he lifted a hand and snapped his fingers, allowing the circle to close around her.

**X**

Amara let out a small cry and sat up, panting heavily. She did not disturb anyone and she didn't want to. Looking around her to make certain that no one was in the room, she rolled over onto her stomach and buried her face in the pillow. After a moment, her shoulders began shaking and soft sobs escaped her lips.

Why was she still having those nightmares?

**X**

"'Mara?" Someone knocked on the door but she didn't feel like moving. She felt tears form again in her eyes. "Are you feelin' all right?"

"I-I feel a little sick. I'm not hungry so..." She buried her face back into her pillow, muffling out the remainder of her words. She had absolutely no appetite and her stomach protested even against the word food. The door opened and she could hear someone enter.

"Amara." She looked up to see St. John accompanied by Rogue. Both of them were staring at her. John reached out and touched her face, where one of the one of the last tear trails resided, causing her to flinch.

"I-I couldn't sleep last night. I fell asleep about an hour or so ago." She stated.

"You ain't gonna go to school, then. I'll tell the professor." Rogue left the room. John stared down at her with a frown on his face.

"What happened?"

"I-I just had another nightmare. I feel so sick..." He reached out to hold her but she jerked away from him and fell off the bed. She winced. "P-Please... just leave me alone for a while." He nodded slightly and left her there, closing her door behind him. Suddenly, she didn't feel like moving. At all.

**X**

She had taken a bath around noon and then went downstairs and got a glass of water. She wore sweat pants, a baggy t-shirt, and her hair was pulled back in a messy bun with a few dark, damp strands framed her face.

"You okay?" Logan asked, raising a brow when she entered the kitchen. She shrugged listlessly and got her water and a few aspirin then left for her room again. Who knew that nightmares could be so damaging? She didn't know. She got into her room and looked into the mirror, frowning at the way she looked. She had bags under her eyes, which were red, and she looked pale. She touched her face, where St. John had touched her before and made a face, remembering why she even looked like she did. She was almost afraid to sleep. Almost afraid to face her nightmares.

"If I have another one, I will not sleep."

**X**

John tossed his backpack on his bed and followed after it. He had just gotten home from an extremely LONG day.

"I feel so bored." He murmured, biting back a yawn. "And tired." He stared up at the ceiling. School, in his opinion, sucked majorly. He felt worse than when he was with Magneto. He winced. That was something he preferred to never remember again. Suddenly, something flashed in his mind. He got up and went to the room next to his. He paused to listen for sounds before knocking. He heard a whimper and went inside, instantly paling at the sight before him. In the furthest corner of the room, curled up and shaking, lay Amara. He closed the door and rushed to her, afraid of her reaction when she saw him. "Love?" She stiffened and lifted her head.

"Why do you...torment me?" He stared at her in shock. Tears ran down her face; falling from her dark brown eyes.

"What are you talking about?" He reached out to her but she sat up and slapped his hand away.

"Don't touch me." His eyes widened. Her words hurt him. The coldness and hatred in her eyes made him want to crawl under a rock. "Don't ever touch me again."

"Amara, have you lost it?" She glared at him as her body convulsed with the sobs that she fought hard to contain. "What is happenin' to you, Sheila?"

"Get away from me. Leave me alone!" Of course, since she screamed at him, everyone decided to gather at the doorway.

"What did I do? I haven't been here all day!" She lurched out and slapped him. He lifted his hand to the stinging red mark on his face. "Amara..."

"Just go. Get out of here!"

"I don't understand..." He felt hurt and betrayed. Why was she doing this to him? What was wrong with her? He didn't even know if he wanted to find out. With the way she was acting, he was ready to go crawl under his bed to hide. The dark depression in her eyes escalated to anger. There was something wrong with her. This was not his Amara. This was not the one he loved. His eyes watered but he willed himself to blink the tears away.

"What's goin' on?" Logan finally spoke up, breaking the silence that had developed. Amara's eyes flashed and she fixed her gaze on him. He suddenly turned around and stared at everyone. "Get out of here, now!" Soon the room was empty and the only two left in the room were kneeling on the floor. John frowned, now knowing that Amara was not herself.

"Please tell me what I did to make you this way." He pleaded, his voice like a low whine. She glared down at him then made her way to the door. He stood up and pulled her back, until they were both sitting on the bed. She was struggling with him, her fire beginning to scorch his skin. "Amara!"

"Let go of me! Now!" She nearly transformed but he stopped it. He stared at her with a deep frown.

"Amara, calm down and tell me what happened." She only struggled more. He tightened his grip on her shoulders and she let out a sharp cry.

"Let go!" She squirmed.

"No! Not until you tell me what you think that I did!" He glared at her sternly. It was tearing him apart to have to do it; to have to see the wild look in her eyes.

"Haven't you caused me enough pain? Aren't you done torturing me?" She fell still, her only movement was the way she was trembling.

"What are you talkin' about?" Her tears ran rapidly now.

"You are the cause of my nightmares. You are going to make them come true, aren't you? I thought you loved me..." He stared down at her. Why was she the only one, now? Last time, it had been the others, too. Could someone be invading her mind? He pulled her to him and started rocking back and forth.

"I swear to you that I ain't doin' anything. You just have to believe me."

"But... he told me. He told me what you have been doing to me." He looked down at her with wide eyes.

"Who told you?"

"I... I don't know. He didn't give me a name." She tried to get away from him again but he held her as tight as he could. "He was inside my mind. He kept telling me of my greatest fears..." John smiled suddenly and kissed her quickly before letting her go and running to the door.

"This is it, 'Mara! We will figure this out. I have to talk to the professor." She stared at the door after he left and put her fingers to her lips. What was going on? She was so confused. What had just happened?

**X**

John paced the floor, waiting for Amara to get done with Professor X. He was anxious to get himself in the clear with her. He did not want her to accuse him anymore. He didn't want to get slapped again, either. Remy was sitting in a chair in the room, watching him pace. He sighed in his boredom. He had inspected his fingernails twice, read every magazine in the room once, flicked through channels on the television three times, watched John pace in between each activity, and had shuffled his deck five times.

"Will you stop pacing? You're making me want to fall asleep." The Cajun was bored to death. He wanted to take a nap or get up and make something to eat. Oh, yeah, and he had made two trips to the bathroom and drank ten sodas and two bottles of water, not to mention blew one up when he saw something floating in it.

"I never was the patient type, was I?" Remy snorted at the absurd idea.

"'Ell no. You even went so far to lighting our clothes on fire to get us out the door. I believe that was after you turned the water off." John sighed as his friend spoke. So, he had never been patient. Some weren't gifted with it. "I also seem to remember the time you lit the stove on fire and then-"

"All right already!" He preferred not to remember that incident. Then the door opened and Amara came out, a faraway expression on her face.

"What happened?" Remy asked, standing up. This was the moment he had been waiting for ever since he got in the room.

"The professor sorted everything out. I guess the one that invaded my mind had made me think my dreams were visions of the future." John stood where he was, not really sure what he should do. She bit her lip. "I'm gonna go to the kitchen... I haven't eaten all day." After she left the room, Remy put his hand on his friend's shoulder.

"I hope things'll work out."

"Me too." They had no idea what to expect next.

**X**

That's all I got for you for now! Sorry for the wait. I got sick of it myself so I finished it today.

1-17-05


End file.
